"Love sits triumphant on the heart--his throne! / And breaks those fetters bigots would impose, / To aggravate the sense of human woes!"
— Morton, Thomas (1764-1838)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for W. Miller
Date
1792
Metaphor
"Love sits triumphant on the heart--his throne! / And breaks those fetters bigots would impose, / To aggravate the sense of human woes!"
Metaphor in Context
The sons of Europe found a guileless race,
No fraud was veiled beneath the smiling face;
Their manners, mild, benevolent, and kind,
Pourtrayed the cloudless sunshine of the mind:
Bless'd in their Prince's patriarchal reign,
Whose power relieved, but ne'er inflicted pain,
Their placid lives no fancy'd evils knew;
Their joys were many, and their wants were few.
One custom with their virtues ill agreed,
Which made Humanity with anguish bleed;
Compelled at Superstition's shrine to bow,
The hapless victims of a cruel vow!
Their sweetest maids were often doomed to prove,
No joy in friendship, nor no bliss in love!
Yet love and nature cannot be supprest,
The sigh will heave, and palpitate the breast;
For spite of vows, which Heaven's wise laws disown,
Love sits triumphant on the heart--his throne!
And breaks those fetters bigots would impose,
To aggravate the sense of human woes!
No fraud was veiled beneath the smiling face;
Their manners, mild, benevolent, and kind,
Pourtrayed the cloudless sunshine of the mind:
Bless'd in their Prince's patriarchal reign,
Whose power relieved, but ne'er inflicted pain,
Their placid lives no fancy'd evils knew;
Their joys were many, and their wants were few.
One custom with their virtues ill agreed,
Which made Humanity with anguish bleed;
Compelled at Superstition's shrine to bow,
The hapless victims of a cruel vow!
Their sweetest maids were often doomed to prove,
No joy in friendship, nor no bliss in love!
Yet love and nature cannot be supprest,
The sigh will heave, and palpitate the breast;
For spite of vows, which Heaven's wise laws disown,
Love sits triumphant on the heart--his throne!
And breaks those fetters bigots would impose,
To aggravate the sense of human woes!
Categories
Provenance
Searching in HDIS (Drama)
Citation
First performed December 1, 1792. At least 5 entries in ESTC (1792, 1793, 1794).
Columbus: or, a World Discovered. An Historical Play. As It Is Performed at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden. By Thomas Morton. (London: Printed for W. Miller, Old Bond-Srreet, 1792). <Link to ESTC>
Columbus: or, a World Discovered. An Historical Play. As It Is Performed at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden. By Thomas Morton. (London: Printed for W. Miller, Old Bond-Srreet, 1792). <Link to ESTC>
Date of Entry
08/07/2004
Date of Review
06/26/2011
